DRUGGING DEPORTEES- U.S. GUILTY OF SERIOUS VIOLATIONS
Reports that the US government injected hundreds of deported foreigners with
dangerous psychotropic drugs are shocking to say the least. In a damning revelation,
The Washington Post has established-through medical records, official documents and
interviews with people who were drugged against their will-that at least 250 people of
various nationalities were subjected to such cruel chemical treatment since 2003. This
is a brazen violation of international human rights laws as well as US domestic laws. It
is not a coincident that the drugging of people shipped out grew to such frightening
proportions after the Department of Homeland Security’s new Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency assumed charge of deportation in 2003.
The paper said that the drugs which are meant to treat serious mental disorders were
administered forcibly with terrible effects on the victims. Often, the victims who were
subjected to such illegal chemical treatment by the authorities had to be dragged to the
aircraft in a comatose condition. The so called tranquilization of deportees appears to
have been carried out more as a rule than as an exception. US laws provide for
involuntary chemical restraint or sedation of deportees only if there is medical
justification, such as serious psychiatric disorder or mental illness. In the 250 cases
identified by the newspaper, the government routinely ignored its own rules which
specify the conditioned under which drugs may be required.
This is one more transgression to be added to the growing catalogue of human rights by
the US administration in the aftermath of 9/11. Thanks to the vigilance of activists and
sections of the media in the US, the brutalities are brought to light sooner or later. Such
exposures need to be followed up by the home governments of the deportees through
legal action for justice and reparation and punishment of the guilty officials.
-DR. NAVRAJ SINGH SANDHU, www.navraj@gmail.com